The Federal Government has introduced new measures to combat examination malpractice in the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), a critical requirement for admission into tertiary institutions nationwide.
The reforms affect examinations conducted by the West African Examination Council (WAEC), the National Examinations Council (NECO), and the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB).
The initiatives were announced on Monday in a statement issued by the Ministry of Education’s spokesperson, Folasade Boriowo, as part of broader efforts to enhance the credibility, transparency, and public confidence in Nigeria’s assessment system.
According to the statement, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, said examination bodies will now adopt enhanced question randomisation and serialisation. Under the new system, candidates will answer the same questions, but the sequence and structure will differ for each individual candidate.
The ministry explained that the approach is designed to reduce collusion among candidates and curb the circulation of leaked answers during examinations.
In addition, the Federal Government has introduced new national guidelines for Continuous Assessment, which all examination bodies are required to implement. The policy establishes uniform submission timelines, with first-term assessments due in January, second-term records in April, and third-term submissions in August.
“These timelines are mandatory and intended to ensure consistency, data integrity, and timely processing of Continuous Assessment records nationwide,” the statement noted.
Another key reform is the introduction of a unique Examination Learners’ Identity Number for all candidates. The government said the identifier would enable effective tracking of learners throughout the examination process and strengthen examination integrity.
